Search

Recently in Food and Restaurants Category

It
is hard for me to think about the Aran Islands, the three rugged
outposts off the coast of Galway, without dreaming of a perfect pint of
Guinness on a drizzling summer afternoon, when all hopes of walking, or
cycling, or swimming had been gloriously dampened by the weather, and
there was only one place to go, and that was the pub. And from the
window you could study the gray sky over the fierce Atlantic ocean, the
white wash of the waves breaking in the distance, and somehow the drink
in your hand, the beauty of the black and white liquid, the silky
softness of its taste, especially if you were on your second or third
pint, meant freedom, ease, time you treasured and longed for.

The answer to the eternal mystery of
what makes up a McDonald's Filet-O-Fish sandwich turns out to involve an ugly
creature from the sunless depths of the oceans, whose bounty, it
seems, is not limitless.

The world's insatiable appetite for fish, with its disastrous
effects on populations of favorites like red snapper, monkfish and
tuna, has driven commercial fleets to deeper waters in search of
creatures unlikely to star on the Food Network.

One of the most popular is the hoki, or whiptail, a bug-eyed specimen [not unlike the pollack] found far down in the waters around New Zealand and transformed into a major export. McDonald's alone at one time used roughly 15 million pounds of it each year.

The hoki may be exceedingly unattractive, but when its flesh reaches
the consumer it's just fish -- cut into filets and sticks or rolled into
sushi -- moist, slightly sweet and very tasty. Better yet, the hoki
fishery was thought to be sustainable, providing New Zealand with a
reliable major export for years to come.

But arguments over managing this resource are flaring not only
between commercial interests and conservationists, but also among the
environmental agencies most directly involved in monitoring and
regulating the catch.

A lot of money is at stake, as well as questions about the
effectiveness of global guidelines meant to limit the effects of
industrial fishing.

Without formally acknowledging that hoki are being overfished, New
Zealand has slashed the allowable catch in steps, from about 275,000
tons in 2000 and 2001 to about 100,000 tons in 2007 and 2008 -- a
decline of nearly two-thirds.

The scientific jury is still out, but critics warn that the hoki
fishery is losing its image as a showpiece of oceanic sustainability.

"We have major concerns," said Peter Trott, the fisheries program manager in Australia for the World Wildlife Fund, which closely monitors the New Zealand fishery.

The problems, he said, include population declines, ecosystem damage
and the accidental killing of skates and sharks. He added that New
Zealand hoki managers let industry "get as much as it can from the
resource without alarm bells ringing."

The hoki lives in inky darkness about a half-mile down and grows to
more than four feet long, its body ending in a sinuous tail of great
length. Large eyes give the fish a startled look.

Scientists say its fate represents a cautionary tale much like that of its heavily harvested forerunner, orange roughy. That deepwater fish reproduces slowly and lives more than 100 years.
Around New Zealand, catches fell steeply in the early 1990s under the
pressures of industrial fishing, in which factory trawlers work around
the clock hauling in huge nets with big winches.

Hoki rose commercially as orange roughy fell. Its shorter life span
(up to 25 years) and quicker pace of reproduction seemed to promise
sustainable harvests. And its dense spawning aggregations, from June to
September, made colossal hauls relatively easy.

As a result, the New Zealand Ministry of Fisheries
set very high quotas -- roughly 275,000 tons a year from 1996 to 2001.
Dozens of factory trawlers plied the deep waters, and dealers shipped
frozen blocks and fillets of the fish around the globe.

Moreover, the fishery won certification in March 2001 from the Marine Stewardship Council,
a private fisheries assessment group in London, which called it
sustainable and well managed. The group's blue label became a draw for
restaurant fish buyers.

"Most Americans have no clue that hoki is often what they're eating
in fried-fish sandwiches," SeaFood Business, an industry magazine, reported in April 2001. It said chain restaurants using hoki included McDonald's, Denny's and Long John Silver's.

Ominous signs of overfishing -- mainly drops in hoki spawns -- came
soon thereafter. Criticism from ecological groups soared. The
stewardship council promotes hoki as sustainable "in spite of falling
fish stocks and the annual killing of hundreds of protected seals,
albatross and petrels," the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand said in May 2004.

When the stewardship council had to decide whether to recertify the
hoki fishery as sustainable and well managed, the World Wildlife Fund,
a Washington-based group that helped found the council, was strongly
opposed. "The impacts of bottom trawling by the hoki fishery must be
reduced," the fund said.

The wildlife fund was overruled, and the council recertified the
fishery in October 2007. At the same time, the New Zealand ministry cut
the quota still further, reducing the allowable commercial catch from
roughly 110,000 tons to about 100,000 tons.

Some restaurants cut back on hoki amid the declines and the controversy.

Last year, Yum Brands, which owns Long John Silver's, issued a
corporate responsibility report that cited its purchases of New Zealand
hoki as praiseworthy because the fishery was "certified as sustainable."

Now, Ben Golden, a Yum Brands spokesman, said hoki was "not on the menu."

Denny's said it served hoki only in its New Zealand restaurants.

Gary Johnson, McDonald's senior director of global purchasing, said
hoki use was down recently to about 11 million pounds annually from
roughly 15 million pounds -- a drop of about 25 percent. "It could go up
if the quota goes up," he said in an interview. He noted that
McDonald's also used other whitefish for its Filet-O-Fish sandwiches.

Mr. Johnson called the diminishing quotas a sign not of strain on
fish stocks but of good management. "Everything we've seen and heard,"
he said, "suggests the fishery is starting to come back."

The Ministry of Fisheries agreed. "If you look at the current state
of the fishery, it's apparent that the string of management actions
that we've taken, which came at severe economic impact, have been
effective," said Aoife Martin, manager of deepwater fisheries.

But the Blue Ocean Institute,
a conservation group in East Norwich, N.Y., that scores seafood for
ecological impact on a scale from green to red, still gives New Zealand
hoki an unfavorable orange rating. The fish is less abundant over all,
the group says, and the fishery "takes significant quantities of
seabirds and fur seals."

Mr. Trott of the wildlife fund was more pointed. He called the
fishery's management "driven by short-term gains at the expense of
long-term rewards" -- a characterization the ministry strongly rejects.

But he, too, held out the prospect of a turnaround that would raise
the hoki's abundance off New Zealand and significantly reduce levels of
ecological damage and accidental killing.

"We are currently working with both industry and government to
rectify all these issues," he said. "Our hope is that we will see great
change and willingness by industry and, importantly, government to
improve the situation dramatically."

NO
MATTER HOW many times I fly to Inis Meáin I still get a thrill when the
twin engines of Aer Arann's Britten-Norman Islander roar at full
throttle as the aircraft leaves Connemara airport, in Inverin, for the
hop to the island.

On this visit we took off in a dismal grey
downpour, but on rounding the shore the clouds parted, the stony fields
came into view and we landed softly on the runway as the sun broke
through.

We were going to the opening of an exhibition of JM
Synge's photographs at Inis Meáin Knitting Company's lovely shop and to
stay a night at Inis Meáin Restaurant Suites, a short walk away.

Designed
in keeping with the natural environment by the architect Shane de
Blácam, a regular visitor to the island, the long, low-lying,
cut-limestone building, bisected by a horizontal line of glass, seems
to rise from the stone plateau on which it is constructed. It's an
impressive sight.

Ruairí de Blácam, an islander and qualified
chef, and his wife, Marie-Thérèse, who worked in the fashion industry,
fulfilled their long-standing dream of opening a restaurant with rooms
on Inis Meáin a year ago.

Their three very spacious suites are
constructed and furnished to a high standard, with mesmerising
panoramic views of the sea and mainland. Each one, with stuccoed lime
walls and wooden floors, is simply but stylishly furnished with a
comfortable double bed dressed in white cotton and grey alpaca throws.

Colours
reflect the landscape. A wooden bench and a sofa upholstered in grey
tweed, with alpaca cushions in shades of grey, provide seating,
although you would need a higher chair to use the long wooden window
shelf as a desk. The only decorations are black-and-white photographs
of the island and vases of wild flowers.

A five-compartment
sideboard contains the following: a fridge with chocolate, carrageen,
water, wine, champagne, spirits, anchovies, tuna, salami, cheese,
butter, marmalade and jam; a kettle, tea, coffee and a mini microwave;
cups, saucers, plates, glasses and cutlery; hot-water bottles, a
hairdryer, a basket, a sewing kit and deodorants; and Scrabble, a chess
set and playing cards.

The adjoining small bathroom has polished granite walls, a shower, a basin and a heated towel rail.

Outside,
two mountain bikes are stored on a small self-contained patio with
outdoor seating, along with fishing rods complete with tackle.

Maps
and books of interest, such as those of Tim Robinson on the Aran
Islands, Sean Scully and even the latest book on Synge, edited by
Nicholas Grene, are also provided, along with a thoughtful guest
information booklet listing 10 things you should do on Inis Meáin.
Who'd want a television with all that and such a view outside?

The
small but well-chosen restaurant menu majors on seafood caught by
island fishermen, including crab, skate and lobster, and local
vegetables.

Starters, such as goat's cheese salad with walnuts
and sherry vinaigrette, are served with home-made brown bread; main
courses include roast skate with French beans and hazelnuts, with new
potatoes. Starters cost €5.50-€12.50, main courses cost €17-€27 and
desserts cost €7.

Wine is about €5.50 a glass; the list offered seven reds and seven whites, all French, from €22 to €48 and €60 a bottle.

Breakfast
is not served in the restaurant but delivered on a tray to the suites.
Ours was an Irish and international selection. It had Karmine Irish
apple juice, toasted hazelnut muesli, pineapple and strawberry salad,
Gubbeen cheese, saucisson, coppa (Italian sausage), scones and "island
boiled eggs".

The de Blácams have a burgeoning vegetable garden
below the restaurant and a wooden palais des poulets housing 10 Rhode
Island Reds that provide the breakfast eggs. Other plans in store for
this sheltered field will generate even more produce for the table.

I've
stayed in various bed and breakfasts on Inis Meáin over the years, all
of them friendly, welcoming places, but the suites provide a new level
of luxury and privacy that makes them extra special for an island
getaway.

We got up early on Sunday, before breakfast, and went
for a long cycle along the island's labyrinthine lanes, passing
wild-flower meadows, fields of potatoes and the occasional local. In
others, sheep or cows with calves gazed out in contentment into the
distance, just like ourselves.

A TV Documentary about Inis Meáin broadcasts tonight Tuesday 11th Nov on TG4 at 8.30pm
Made by a friend of ours on the island, a beautifully shot short film
about the life of Máirín Thomáis. Máirín is a local lady who is a
world-famous knitter and one of the last known people to be able to
make the traditional crios on a homemade hand loom. If you missed the
documentary made about ourselves and aired in September and would like
to see it, it is available to view
at www.rte.ie/tv/oileain/inismeain.html

If your memories of BBs feature nylon sheets and drab food, then it could be time for a rethink.
Alanna Gallagher of The Irish Times asked half a dozen well-known bon vivants where they like to get away to and what makes the destination so special for them

Marian Keyes, Novelist

The writer loves Moy House, which sits above Cregg Beach in Co Clare,
overlooking the wild Atlantic Ocean. The old summer home of landlord
Sir Augustine Fitzgerald has been renovated sympathetically.

"It's
small - there are only nine rooms - but classically restored. The decor
throughout is very grown-up. The bathrooms are quite traditional, with
big Victorian-style claw-foot baths and enormous Villeroy Boch sinks.
The finish throughout is to a really high standard. The rooms are
small, but each is different, and there's a lovely sitting room with
squishy couches and an honesty bar.

"They do evening meals, but
for residents only, which can leave you feeling a little sore if you're
in Lahinch and dying to be let in. It's a great place to hole up for a
winter weekend. The wind can be howling around the house, but you'll
feel warm and cosy inside. It feels very romantic to be cosied up on
the couch with the wind whistling around the building."

The
house is architecturally fascinating, according to Keyes. "There's a
quirky watchtower to explore, and in the dining room there's a wall of
glass looking out to sea. Every detail is beautiful. It's the perfect
escape."

Robert
Doggett, who has been maitre d' of the Trocadero, in Dublin, for more
years than he cares to remember, is one of the most hospitable hosts in
the capital. For him Kilgraney Country House Herb Garden, near
Bagenalstown, Co Carlow, ticks all the hospitality boxes.

"I
have many's the time hopped into the car and headed to Kilgraney House.
It's a stunning place to stay, with a choice of six very unusual and
unique bedrooms. Once settled in, a walk along the River Barrow really
clears the head. Back at the house, stroll through the amazingly
fragrant herb garden, which includes a medicinal herb courtyard and a
medieval monastic herb garden."

The herb garden, says Doggett,
is a perfect prelude to a massage: it leads to the aromatherapy massage
rooms, which are in a restored apple store. "The de-stress mind massage
is perfect after a hectic week at the restaurant. After a pleasant
session I like to read a good book in the drawing room."

There
are two dining options, says Doggett, but it is the breakfast that
owners Martin Marley and Bryan Leech serve that is most memorable,
particularly the orange raisin pancakes and baked eggs with spinach.

Marlfield
House, in Co Wexford, is not your everyday BB, but for a cheeky weekend
away it's hard to beat, according to the television presenter.

"The
rooms come with sumptuous bedding and Frette linen, deep-pile carpets
and dramatic canopies over the beds. Some rooms also have open fires,
an essential ingredient for winter romance," he says.

Marlfield
House built its reputation on its food, which is modern Irish in style
and features fresh herbs, vegetables and fruit, wild salmon, spring
lamb, Bannow Bay oysters, Wexford mussels and beef.

"There is abundant use of rich butter and cream sauces, so I came home about a stone heavier than I had been."

When
Courtney visited, Marlfield House was run by a mother-and-daughter
combination of Mary and Margaret Bowe, but Mary has retired, and now
the house is run by Margaret and her sister, Laura.

"I stayed
there with my ex Les. We arrived in a dodgy white van, which we had to
park on a hill and have the owners help us push-start, as the ignition
was broken. It wouldn't have been their usual style of help request,
but they obliged anyhow and got us on the road in no time."

Gardener
and good-food fan Dermot O'Neill loves Danny Minnie's in the wilds of
the west Donegal Gaeltacht, in the village of Annagry.

"The BB
has eight or nine rooms, each decorated in a country style, but every
room retains its own character. It's small and the only place I know
where you get your porridge served with Drambuie on it in the morning,"
says O'Neill. "The rooms also have homely touches, like magazines and
books in them. Best of all is the food."

The restaurant is
renowned in its part of the world. It's only open at the weekends in
the winter. At €65 per person sharing it's great value for money and
ideal if you want to block-book it for a family occasion, according to
O'Neill.

Annagry is good base if you want to explore Glenveagh
Castle, Errigal Mountain and the late Derek Hill's home and art
collection.

Danny Minnie's is a good four-hour drive from
Dublin. Weekenders might consider flying with Aer Arann. The guest
house is a five-minute drive from the airport, and Danny Minnie's will
collect you.

The
chef says that Inis Meáin Restaurant Suites, on the middle of the three
Aran Islands, off Galway, is a perfect spot for a romantic weekend
break. Cooke heads west every September.

"Each suite offers
uninterrupted views of the island. I love the fact that there are no
televisions, allowing you to completely relax and get away from it all.
The rooms are spacious, with a living area and outside sitting area. A
breakfast tray is delivered to the room each morning, adding to the
total relaxation."

The restaurant has similar panoramic views of
the island and the bay, and its speciality is locally caught lobster
and crab, served with produce grown on the island using seaweed as
fertiliser, which gives the potatoes in particular a distinctive and
floury taste, says Cooke.

Chef Richard Corrigan likes a good breakfast. Hotels just can't get it right, he says.

"The
result is too impersonal. Breakfast has to be cooked by the owner of
the establishment. A bed and breakfast has to be more than about the
bedroom."

Shelburne Lodge, in Kenmare, Co Kerry, is more than the sum of its parts, he says.

"The
last time I stayed there the owner, Maura Foley, cooked me wild salmon,
seared lightly and served with a lemon butter sauce for my breakfast.
It was the finest start to the day I've ever had. The full Irish
features high-quality bacon, beautiful sausages, fresh breads,
traditional Irish cheeses and good leaf teas as well as fresh fish."

Maura Foley, one of the region's food heroes, has been cooking since 1961.

Her
old stone house is set on the edge of the town, well back from the road
in its own grounds. It has nine rooms, each with a mix of antiques and
Irish paintings.

The gardens include a herb garden, and the
location means you can walk into town for a pint. Kenmare has some
terrific pubs. Crowley's is an old-school establishment with no
organised sessions, but musicians tend to turn up and play.